Could you be there for a child?

There are over 700 children in care in Bristol. Many of these children need to stay with foster families while they are unable to live at home.

A national shortage of foster carers means we are struggling to find enough carers living in and around Bristol who reflect all of our children's backgrounds. So we urgently need more people from all walks of life to come forward.

We understand that fostering isn't something you can decide on straight away, after all, it's a big commitment.

3. Drop by our stall at a local event near you

We run regular information events throughout the year, so if you are out and about in the city you can drop by to pick up information and chat informally with our team and experienced foster carer ambassadors.Find us at:

What is the difference between fostering and adoption?

Foster carers share the responsibility for the child with a local authority and the child's parents. Fostering is usually a temporary arrangement, though sometimes foster care may be the plan until the child grows up.

Adoption is a way of providing a new family for children who cannot be brought up by their own parents. It's a legal procedure in which all the parental responsibility is transferred to the adopters.

Once an adoption order has been granted it can't be reversed except in extremely rare circumstances. An adopted child loses all legal ties with their first mother and father (the "birth parents") and becomes a full member of the new family, usually taking the family's name.